Government monopoly as an instrument for public health and welfare: Lessons for cannabis from experience with alcohol monopolies.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Government monopolies of markets in hazardous but attractive substances and activities have a long history, though prior to the late 19th century often motivated more by revenue needs than by public health and welfare. METHODS: A narrative review considering lessons from alcohol for monopolization of all or part of legal markets in cannabis as a strategy for public health and welfare. RESULTS: A monopoly can constrain levels of use and harm from use through such mechanisms as price, limits on times and places of availability, and effective implementation of restrictions on who can purchase, and less directly by replacing private interests who would promote sales and press for gre..